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The Maui News
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that lawsuits from Maui and Honolulu counties against Big Oil companies can move forward in Hawaii state courts, instead of in federal court.
Shell Oil Company, Chevron Corp. and the other fossil fuel company defendants sought to move the county's case to federal court, according to a news release from Maui County on Thursday. After the Hawaii U.S. District Court ruled against them in February 2021, the oil companies appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court, which confirmed that Maui's case must be heard in state court.
"Keeping this case in our state court is important because it means we will have our claims heard here in Hawaii where the damage is occurring," Maui County Corporation Counsel Moana Lutey said. "We are looking forward to trying this case, laying out the significant evidence that we have of the damage these companies knowingly created."
Maui County filed the lawsuit in October 2020 against 20 fossil fuel companies. The county is "seeking relief in state court to hold Big Oil companies accountable for their decadeslong disinformation campaign to keep the public in the dark over the climate crisis," Mayor Michael Victorino said at the time.
Like Maui County, Honolulu is seeking financial damages tied to climate change impacts that the government alleges fossil fuel companies knew about but hid, according to a March news release from the Honolulu City Council.
The City and County of Honolulu is poised to become the first in the country to put major oil companies on trial in state court for climate damages, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Climate Integrity.
"Once again Big Oil companies tried to escape accountability, and once again they failed," Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, said Thursday following the ruling to keep the lawsuits in state court. "The people of Honolulu and Maui are paying the price for Big Oil's climate deception. It's time for them to have their day in state court to make these corporations pay their fair share of the damages they caused."